page_title: Royal antelope
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Royal antelope / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: bookofantelopes22scla (find matches) Title: The book of antelopes Year: 1894 (1890s) Authors: Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Oldfield, Thomas, 1858-1929 Wolf, Joseph, 1820-1899, ill Williams, Alpheus F., former owner. DSI National Zoological Park (U.S.), former owner. DSI Russell E. Train Africana Collection (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries) DSI Subjects: Antelopes Publisher: London&#160;: R.H. Porter Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: is better to recognize the twospecies as distinct. Dccanber, 1895. 59 Genus V. NEOTRAGUS. Type. Neotragus, H. Sm. GriflF. An. K. v. p. 349 (1827) N, pygm^us. Tragulus, Ogilb. P. Z. S. 1836, p. 138 (nee Pall.) N. PYGMiEus. Minyiragus, Glog. Naturg. p. 154 (1841) N. pygm^us. Spinigera, Less. N. Tabl. R. A., Mamm. p. 178 (1842) N. pygm^us. Nanotragus, Sxind. Pecora^ K. Vet.-Ak. Handl. 1844, p. 191 (1846) . N. pygm^us. Size very small. No auricular glands nor accessory hoofs. Tail of medianlength. Skull with its muzzle unusually well ossified, so that there are no ante-orbital vacuities, nor extra vacuities in the maxillo-premaxillary suture.Anteorbital fossae very large. Nasal opening a vertical oblong, its sides notbowed outwards. Horns excessively small, their length less than the diameter of the orbit;laid right back on the sides of the crown in the direction of the facial profile. Distribution. West Africa. Only one species of this genus is known. l!i THE BOOK OF ANTE-LOPES,PL,XXIX. Text Appearing After Image: WolfJcl Sn:,t&#160;:,lh TVi e P. o V al An t el op e .)SEOTRAGUS PYGM:^US Ha-nh^it imp. 61 51. THE ROYAL ANTELOPE. NEOTRAGUS PYGM^US (Linn.).(PLATE XXIX.) Cervus pusillus guineensis, Seba, Thesaurus, i. p. 10, pi. xliii. fig. 3 (1734). Capra pygmcpa, Linn. Syst. Nat. (10) i. p. 69 (1758). Moschus pygmceus, Linn. Syst. Nat. (12) i. p. 92 (1766). Antilope pygmaa, Pall. Spic. Zool. xii. p. 18 (1777)&#160;; Zimm. Spec. Zool. geogr. p. 540(1777); id. Geogr. Gesckii. p. 112(1780); Herm.Tabl.Affin. Anim. p.l07 (1783)GmeL Linn. S. N. i. p. 191 (1788); Kerr, Linn. An. K. p. 318 (1792)&#160;; DonndZool. Beytr. i. p. 642 (1792)&#160;; Link, Beytr. Nat. ii. p. 99 (1795)&#160;; Bechst. AUgemUebers. vierf. Thiere, ii. p. 642 (1800)&#160;; Shaw, Gen. Zool. ii. pt. 2, p. 326 (1801)Desm. N. Diet. dH. N. (1) x. p. 251 (1803), xxiv. Tabl. p. 32 (1804); G. CuvDiet. Sci. Nat. ii. p. 241 (1804)&#160;; G. risch. Zoogn. iii. p. 414 (1814)&#160;; Afzel. NAct. Ups. vii. p. 220 (1815)&#160;; Desm. N. Diet. dH. N. (2) ii. p. 192 (1816)Goldf. Schr. Saug. v. Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: The royal antelope is a West African antelope, recognised as the world's smallest antelope. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It stands up to merely 25 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs 2.5–3 kilograms. A characteristic feature is the long and slender legs, with the hindlegs twice as long as the forelegs. Horns are possessed only by males; the short, smooth, spiky horns measure 2.5–3 centimetres and bend backward. The soft coat is reddish to golden brown, in sharp contrast with the white ventral parts. In comparison to Bates's pygmy antelope, the royal antelope has a longer muzzle, broader lips, a smaller mouth and smaller cheek muscles.
  Typically nocturnal, the royal antelope exhibits remarkable alertness. Territories are marked with dung. A herbivore, the royal antelope prefers small quantities of fresh foliage and shoots; fruits and fungi may be taken occasionally. Like other neotragines, the royal antelope is monogamous. Both sexes can become sexually mature by as early as six months. Births have been reported in November and December. A single, delicate young is born after an unknown gestational period.
context_section_description: The royal antelope is the smallest antelope and ruminant in the world. It is also the smallest African ungulate, followed by Bates's pygmy antelope; The royal antelope reaches merely 25 centimetres (10 in) at the shoulder and weighs 2.5–3 kilograms (5.5–6.6 lb). The head-and-body length is typically 40 centimetres (16 in). A characteristic feature is the long and slender legs, with the hindlegs twice as long as the forelegs – a remarkable similarity to the hare. The thin tail, 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in) long, is white on the underside, ending in a white tuft. The species is sexually dimorphic, with females being larger than males. Only males possess horns, these being short, smooth, ventrally reflexed spikes measuring 2.5–3 centimetres (1.0–1.2 in) long.
  The soft coat is reddish to golden brown, in sharp contrast with the white ventral parts. A brown band runs across the chest, and a distinct rufous collar can be observed on the neck. The chin and the medial surfaces of the legs are also white. The face is characterised by large, round dark brown eyes, small translucent ears, a slim muzzle, and a large grayish pink rhinarium.
caption: An illustration of the royal antelope from The Book of Antelopes (1894)
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